Findings and purpose

The legislature finds that: (1) Much of the forest land in Hawaii is privately owned and managed; (2) The capacity to protect important watersheds and native Hawaiian plants and animals and to produce renewable forest resources is significantly dependent on these privately managed forest and formerly forested lands; (3) The factors essential to the quality of life in Hawaii, including our water and air quality, mild climate, and habitat available for plants and animals unique to these islands, can be maintained and improved through good stewardship of privately managed forest lands; (4) To accomplish these purposes, the present system of state and federal financial and technical assistance programs needs to be expanded to promote the long-term management of additional privately managed forest and formerly forested lands throughout the State; and (5) A forest stewardship program should be established to supplement the natural area reserves system's programs under chapter 195 by encouraging landowners of privately managed forest and formerly forested lands that cannot qualify as potential natural area reserves to make long-term commitments to protect, maintain, and restore important watersheds, forest resources, forest products, fish and wildlife habitats, isolated populations of rare and endangered plants, native vegetation, and other lands that provide significant public benefits. The purpose of this chapter is to establish a program to financially assist landowners in managing, protecting, and restoring important natural resources in Hawaii's forested and formerly forested lands.